Pretzel making machine



H. A. ELLIOTT PRETZEL MAKING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1934 Patented Oct. 6, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRETZEL MAKING MACHINE Harry A. Elliott, Jefferson, Iowa Application July 9, 1934, Serial No. 734,307 '7 Claims. (01. 107-8) In the pretzel industry a considerable loss is tion at the commencement of its cutting moveoccasioned by breaking pretzels when being ment, and by dotted lines in position after it shipped and handled. This breakage is due, to a has thrown the pretzel end away from the pretzel considerable extent, to the fact that in many supporting plate.

' instances the twisted portion is not firmly united Figure 5 shows a detail side elevation of a and the end portions are not firmly united to the pretzel making machine and illustrating the b looped portion; and, furthermore, a considerable means for operating the pretzel end-cutting amount of this breakage occurs when the end knives; and portions are permitted to project to a consider- Figure 6 shows a detail vertical sectional view able extent over and beyond the looped portion. through the center of the pretzel supporting 10 The objects of my invention are to provide plate illustrating means for holding the pretzel means of simple and inexpensive construction loop and pushing upwardly on the twisted porfor tightening the twisted portion of a pretzel tion of the pretzel. when in plastic condition, to such an extent as In my companion application, Serial No.

to cause the twisted portion to firmly adhere, 727,702, filed May 26, 1934, I have illustrated so that when they are later processed and baked and described a pretzel making machine in the finished product will be bonded at the twisted which there is a continuously moving conveyer portion. with a series of pretzel forming plates thereon,

A further object is to provide means for holdand associated with each of the pretzel forming ing the end portions of the plastic pretzel firmly plates there are means for holding the looped 2O against the looped P on at t t me that the portion of the pretzel in position on the plate twisted portion of the pretzel is being stretched, and for releasing same at the proper time, so to thereby prevent these end portions from breakthat the finished pretzel may drop by gravity. ing their bonded connection with the looped por- In the present application I have used the tion. reference numeral ID to indicate the conveyor t j c is to provide means of ple chain on which there is mounted a series of nd ineXpeIlSiVe C ct on for Cutt g Off t e pretzel forming plates, indicated generally by the nd f the plastic p t l whi p j t beyond numeral H. Carried by the plate H is a series the looped portion, and for discharging these of pretzel engaging fingers I2 pivotally mounted Cut-Off ends from the mac e. below the plate and extending upwardly through 30 My invention consists in the construction, arl t i th plate, T ach of these fingers l2 r n me n combination f h v ri us parts there is attached a rod l3, and these rods are f the d v w y th Objects c nt p at d connected to a head l4 which, at proper times, are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, move downwardly to withdraw the fingers from pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the engaging with the pretzel.

35 a p y draWiIlg, in Which! When these fingers l2 are in position shown Figure 1 ShOWS a p p View Of a pretzel in Figure 6 they hold the looped portion of the fo p means thereon r holding e pretzel in position against moving inwardly to- D a Pretzel t0 the plate, and a plastic pretzel ward the center of the looped portion and upin position thereon, and by dotted lines illuswardly away from the plate. 40

40 trating the positions of the p z utting The details of this structure are fully illustrated knives. and described in said companion application.

Figure 2 shows a top or plan View of the pretzel When the pretzel in plastic form is looped end-C t knives in position for Commencing around the fingers l2, and twisted, and the ends to ou and in this figure there is illustrated it placed in position over the looped portion, then 45 portion of the pretzel in position relative to the two presser fingers, which I have indicated genknives. erally by the reference numeral I5, engage said Figure 3 ShOWS front va P y in ends and direct them downwardly against the section, illustrating the pretzel supporting plate looped portion.

with a plastic pretzel thereon and the pretzel The mechanism for operating these presser 50 end-cutting knife in position for commencing fingers is also fully illustrated and described in to out. said companion application.

Figure 4 shows a detail vertical sectional view For the purpose of stretching the twisted portaken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 illustrating tion of a plastic pretzel to thereby cause the said one ofthe pretzel end-cuttingknives in positwisted portion to firmly adhere to each other 1 and become bonded, I have provided the following mechanism:

At the central portion of the plate ii there is a rod I6 vertically arranged to extend through the plate H and provided with a second plate I! at its upper end above the plate II. This plate I! is shaped to engage the under surface of the twisted portion of the plastic pretzel resting on the plate II. On the lower end of the rod I8 there is a roller 18, and the cam shaped guide I!) is fixed to the machine frame in position to be engaged by the roller l8 in its movement with the travelling conveyor. When the roller l8 engages the cam guide IS, the rod I6 will be forced upwardly and the plate I! will also be forced upwardly to stretch the twisted portion of the plastic pretzel; and since at this time the looped portion of the plastic pretzel will be held against inward movement toward the center of the loop, and the end portions of the plastic pretzel will be held by the fingers l5 against the looped portion, this upward movement of the plate I! will tend to stretch the twisted portion and cause the parts thereof to be more firmly twisted together, and since the material is in plastic form, the parts thereof will be bonded together.

I have found in practice that, when this twisted portion is thus stretched and firmly bonded, the pretzel may be put through the usual processing and baking operations without separating at the twisted portion.

I have also found in practice that, in making pretzels with my improved pretzel making machine, the pretzel ends will at times, project greater or less distances beyond the loop, due to the fact that the plastic material of which the pretzel is formed is, to some extent, elastic and that this elasticity is affected by temperature and other conditions. It is desirable that the pretzel ends do not project a, great distance beyond the loop, because they are easily broken off and the commercial value of the pretzel is thereby impaired.

For the purpose of cutting off these ends at a uniform distance from the pretzel loop under all of these varying conditions I have provided the following mechanism:

The reference numeral 28 indicates the shaft mounted in the machine frame 2|, and which shaft drives the endless conveyor. Fixed to this shaft is a cam 22. Mounted in the frame 2| above the upper part of the travelling conveyor is a shaft 23, having a crank arm 24 at one end, provided with a roller 25, which roller engages the cam 22. On the other end of the shaft 23 is an arm 26 to which a spring 21 is connected to hold the roller 25 against the cam 22. Fixed to the shaft 23 is a frame 28. At each end of the frame 28 there is a knife 29 formed with a slot 30, and a set screw 3| extends through the said slot into said frame for adjustably securing the knife to the frame. These knives are normally held by the cam 22 in a position shown by solid lines in Figure 4, so that the pretzel loop will pass under them; then, when the travelling conveyor is being advanced, the cam 22 moves the knives downwardly and in the direction in which the pretzel is travelling, thereby severing the pretzel ends that project beyond the loop; then the cam is also so shaped that, immediately after the pretzel end has been severed, the knives will be rapidly moved to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, and this rapid movement will throw the pretzel ends outwardly beyond the conveyor, in the direction in which the conveyor is travelling, and

these pretzel ends may then be collected in a re ceptacle 32 located at the end of the travelling conveyor.

In practice with this cutter I have found that the fingers I2 always hold the loop in a certain position relative to the plate, and the fingers l5 firmly hold the pretzel ends against the pretzel loop. Then, when the cam 22 operates to start the knife on its cutting operation, it will always engage the pretzel end the same distance from the pretzel loop, so that the ends will be out off uniformly, regardless of the amount of contraction and expansion that the plastic pretzel material undergoes while being formed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a travelling conveyor shaped to receive and support pretzels in plastic form, a pair of knives, and means operated in unison with the travelling conveyor to move said knives toward and through the pretzel ends and then away from the pretzel at a speed greater than that of the movement of the conveyor, to throw the pretzel ends from the conveyor.

2. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a travelling conveyor, means thereon for supporting a pretzel in plastic form, a pivoted shaft supported above the conveyor, a pair of knives carried by the shaft, and means operated in unison with the travelling conveyor for moving said knives downwardly and in the same direction as the conveyor is moving, to sever the pretzel ends during the movement of the pretzel, said knife moving means including an element for greatly accelerating the knife movement, after it has severed the pretzel ends, to throw the ends from the conveyor.

3. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a travelling conveyor, means thereon for supporting a pretzel in plastic form, a pivoted shaft supported above the conveyor, a pair of knives carried by the shaft, a crank arm on the shaft, a cam operatively connected with the travelling conveyor for movement in unison therewith and positioned to operate said crank arm, and a pair of knives on said shaft, said cam being shaped to move the knives first downwardly toward the conveyor and then rapidly in a direction to throw the pretzel ends from the conveyor.

4. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a plate, means for holding the loop portion of a plastic pretzel upon the upper surface of the plate, and means for moving the twisted portion of a pretzel thus held, in an upward direction to tighten the twist.

5. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a frame, a plate, means for holding the loop of a plastic pretzel against movement inwardly toward the center of the loop and upwardly, a second plate positioned to engage the twisted portion of a pretzel thus held, and means for moving said second plate upwardly relative to the first to tighten said twisted portion.

6. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a support, means for engaging the looped portion of a plastic pretzel and holding it stationary on said support, means engaging and holding the free ends of the twisted portion into intersecting engagement with the looped portion andagainst movement, and movable means for engaging the twisted portion and for stretching the same while thus held.

'7. In a pretzel making machine, the combination of a traveling conveyor shaped to receive and support pretzels. in plastic form, means for operated in unison with the traveling conveyor to move said knives towards and from the pretzel ends and then away from the pretzel at a speed greater than that of the movement of the conveyor, to throw the pretzel ends from the con- 5 veyor.

HARRY A. ELLIOTT. 

